Clutch and brake combination for an automatic clothes washer



G. J REED 3,490,569

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 CLUTCH AND BRAKE COMBINATION FOR AN AUTOMATIC CLOTHES WASHER GEORGE Afro/macs Jan. 20, 1970 Filed Jan.

3 2w .3 22 n 2 3 IN I" I II N m fi a m W 5 5 6 7v G. J. REED Jan. 20, 1970 CLUTCH AND BRAKE COMBINATION FOR AN AUTOMATIC CLOTHES WASHER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1,968

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X 770 PA/EY 5 Jan. 20, 1970 G. J. REED 3,490,569

CLUTCH AND BRAKE COMBINATION FOR AN AUTOMATIC CLOTHES WASHER INVENTOR- GEORGE r7. FEED G. J. REED Jan. 20, 1970 CLUTCH AND BRAKE COMBINATION FOR AN AUTOMATIC CLOTHES WASHER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 25, 1968 ENTOR.

REED

INV J:

GEOEGE /i ZTOEA EYS United States Patent O 3,490,569 CLUTCH AND BRAKE COMBINATION FOR AN AUTOMATIC CLOTHES WASHER George J. Reed, Galesburg, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Franklin Manufacturing Company, St. Cloud, Minna, a corporation of Iowa Filed Jan. 25, 1968, Ser. No. 700,540 Int. Cl. F16d 11/06, 43/00; D06f 29/00 US. Cl. 19218 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A washing machine of the automatic type wherein the clothes retaining basket is perforated and the water retaining tub is concentric with and rather closely positioned relative to the basket. A novel drive mechanism is employed with co-axially arranged agitator and spin shafts.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Field of invention The invention is in the field of automatic washing machines of the vertical axis type.

Description of the prior art The prior art discloses an automatic washing machine in which the clothes carrying basket is perforated and the water retaining tub is concentric with and rather closely spaced to the basket. The tub is supported on braces which have their upper ends fastened to the tub and their lower ends fastened to a ring which is mounted for nutational movement on a dome which is secured to a stationary base member. Centering springs have their inner ends secured to the ring and their outer ends secured to the stationary base members. The springs collaborate in resisting the nutational movement of the ring relative to the dome such as when an unbalanced wash load is encountered. A single pulley drive from a reversible motor permits accomplishing the agitation cycle and spin cycle through co-axially arranged agitation and spin shafts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention contemplates a perforated clothes carrying basket in combination with a stationary water carrying tub arranged concentric therewith. A reversible motor drives a single pulley which in turn drives an agitator shaft in either direction and a co-axially arranged spin shaft in one direction. A casting which houses both shafts also provides the support for the stationary tub relative to the base portion of the cabinet which forms the outer shell of the machine. A novel drive mechanism is arranged within the support housing for effecting rotation of the agitator shaft in one direction during the agitation period and then for rotating the spin shaft in reverse direction during the water removal period. A collar fixed to the agitator shaft serves to actuate an oil pump at one of its ends and serves to effect clutching and de-clutching at its other end. A brake mechanism holds the spin shaft stationary during the agitation period and during the period in which the basket overruns the spin shaft after de-clutching has occurred.

The principal object of the invention is to provide, in a vertical axis type washing machine, an improved supporting structure for the stationary tub and the components associated therewith and to provide an improved drive assembly for use in conjunction with the improved supporting structure.

3,490,569 Patented Jan. 20, 1970 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of the washing machine, partly broken away to show the various working parts thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a more detailed enlarged sectional view of the washing machine, partly broken away to show more clearly the working mechanism of same.

FIGURE 3 is a section, partly broken away, to show the brake and cam mechanism of the washing machine.

FIGURE 4 is a section, partly broken away, showing the collar and cam mechanism for braking the washing machine.

FIGURE 5 is a section taken substantially along line 55 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a section taken substantially along line 6-6 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is a section taken substantially along line 7-7 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 8 is a section taken substantially along line 88 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 9 is a top plan view of the motor mounting taken along line 9-9 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 10 is a section taken substantially along line 1010 of FIGURE 9.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings the numeral 10 designates in general a washing machine.

The cabinet comprises a base mounting plate 17 upon which are mounted four vertical side walls 11 and a top 12 having an access opening 13 closed by a lid member 14. Access into the lower portion or machine compartment of the cabinet 11 is through an opening 15 formed in one of the vertical side walls of the housing the same being closed by a closure plate 16.

As shown best in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, located centrally in base plate 17 is an opening 20, and also secured to plate 17 directly Over opening 20 is a dome member 21 having a central opening 22 in axial alignment with opening 20. Supported for movement on dome 21 is an annulus ring 23, which in turn is rigidly secured to a vertically extended tubular shaped housing 24, the same being adapted to support and carry at its upper end a tub member 25. To prevent the outer, or circumferential portion of the tub 25 from sagging or distorting, there are provided diagonal brace members 26 (only one of which is shown) adapted to secure the eripheral portion 27 of the tub 25 to annulus ring 23 to cooperatively form with the housing 24 a more rigid support for tub 25, particularly when the tub tends to nutate on the surface of dome 21. To resist excessive movement of ring 23, frictional pads 28 are inserted between the annulus ring 23 and the surface of dome 21.

As will best be seen in FIGURE 1, housing 24 has a portion 240 thereof adapted to extend downwardly through openings 20, 22, into dome 21 and housing 24 has extending axially therethrou'gh a pair of co-axial shafts 30, 31 hereinafter identified respectively as the agitator shaft and the spin shaft. Shaft 30 extends outwardly through an opening 32 formed in the lower end of housing portion 24a. Secured to the end'of agitator shaft 30 is a pulley 33 driven by belt 34, the belt passing over 'a pulley 35 operatively driven by a two-directional electric motor 36. It will be noted that the spin shaft 31 extends co-axially with shaft 30, and is supported thereby as follows. A collar 37 rests on snap ring 37a which is secured to shaft 30, said collar being adapted to receive, and have resting thereon, a combination sleeve and thrust bearing member 38, to which, and upon which, one end of sleeve shaft 31 is journaled and supported. Shafts 30 and 31 extend co-axially through an upper opening 39 formed in housing 24 and extend into tub 25. Shaft 30 extends beyond the terminated end of shaft 31 and has formed thereon a crank arm 40. To interlock shafts 30, 31, in assembly, a nut 41 is pressed on shaft 30 and a roller bearing 42 is interposed between nut 41 and end of shaft 31. The upper terminated end of shaft 31 is journaled to shaft 30 by means of a sleeve bearing 49.

Secured adjacent the upper end of shaft 31, for rotation therewith, is a perforated clothes receiving basket 50, enclosed within tub 25. Both the tub 25 and basket 50 are provided with access openings, aligned with opening 13, through which clothes may be received into the basket 50, or removed therefrom.

Crankarm 40 extends vertically and upwardly into basket 50. Mounted and positioned upon crankarm 40 are a pair of spaced apart bearing members 51 and 51a upon which are journaled a sleeve 52, the same extending co-axially with crankarm 40. Sleeve 52 extends a short distance beyond the terminal end of crankarm 40 and is closed by a plug 53. The lower end of sleeve 52 is open and is connected and secured by a rubber sleeve or boot member 54 to a neck section 55 formed integrally with basket 50.

Secured by a weld, or the like, to sleeve 52, is a collar 56 to which is secured, and rests upon, an agitator supporting member 57, FIGURE 1, said supporting member being formed with a rest 58 upon which seats an agitator 60. The upper end of agitator 60 is secured by a cap 61 threaded upon a stud 62 that extends from the upper end of the agitator supporting member 57. A downwardly extending neck 63 is formed integrally with member 57 and has attached thereto one end of a rubber sleeve 64, the opposite end of same being secured to an upwardly extending neck member 65 formed integrally with basket 50.

As shown best in FIGURES 9 and of the drawings, a two-directional motor 36 is provided, the same being secured to and rests upon a pair of spaced apart parallel slide members 70. The slide members 70 straddle an opening 71 formed in the base plate 10 through which a motor shaft 18 projects for securement therebelow of the pulley 35. Motor 36 is provided with studs 72 which project through rubber grommets 73 for securement to a respective slide member 70. To guide slides 70, so that they will move in a radial direction from the axis of the agitator shaft 30, a pair of tracks 74 are provided, said tracks 74 being in parallel relationship and having vertical walls between which the slides 70 are guided-the same being secured to base 17. Each of tracks 70 are formed with an inwardly turned flange 75 which in turn engages the top of slides 74, and the flanges 75 are in spaced parallel relationship with base 17 to receive therebetween and guide the movement of the slides.

To torsion belt 34, in efiicient driving relationship with pulleys 33, 35, there are provided tension springs 76'- one end of each spring 76 being attached to a respective slide 70 and the other to a respective track member 74, on base 17.

Agitator shaft 30 is journaled in bearing 100 secured within the lower end of housing 24a, FIGURE 1, and in bearings 38, 49, within the co-axial shaft 31, which in turn is journaled in bearing 101 adjacent the upper end of housing 24.

As shown best in FIGURES 3 and 4, shaft 30 is provided with a collar 110 secured in rotation therewith by a screw 111. Formed on the upper and lower ends of collar 110 are, respectively, cam members 112, 113, the lower cam 113 being adapted to actuate an oil pump piston 214 and the upper cam 112 being provided to alter the drive from agitation to spin and back to agitation.

Oil pump piston 214 is reciprocally mounted on shaft 30 between cam 113 and a spring 218. Openings 215 are provided to allow oil to be fed from reservoir 220 in housing 24 to passageways 216, in the direction of the arrows, to port 217 and thence to bore 225 in shaft 30, FIGURE 2!. A check valve 213 prevents reverse flow of the lubricating oil on the suction stroke of the pump. Cam 112 is in operative engagement with a cam surface 115 formed on sleeve member 116 that is in free sliding relationship on shaft 30. Sleeve 116'isrotated by its cam engagement with cam 112 during agitation, i.e., the cams interlock, as shown best in FIGURE 3. As this occurs, sleeve member 116 is at its lowest drop position on the shaft. On the spin cycle, sleeve member 116 is rotated by spring 117 upwardly on shaft 30 to cause contact of clutch plate with friction pad 121. Friction on the rotating clutch plate 120 then drives sleeve 116 to its highest position, and the two members, cam 112 and sleeve 116, are locked in rotation by abutment 118 on cam 112 striking shoulder 119 on sleeve 116. The upper end of sleeve 116 is splined for interlocking with the clutch plate 120. Clutch plate 120 is carried by sleeve member 116 in its vertical movement. Also, clutch 120 is movable into and out of engagement with a friction pad 121 carried on a flanged end 122 of sleeve 123. Sleeve 123 is mounted upon spin shaft 31 to permit axial movement relative thereto, and

also to be locked in driving relation therewith. Sleeve 123 I has axially extended slots 124 to receive projections 125 of a collar 126, said collar being secured by a screw 127 to shaft 31 for rotation therewith and also to lock the sleeve 123 in rotation with shaft 31. Sleeve 123, by its slots 124, is permitted axial sliding movement on shaft 31.

As shown best in FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings, there is shown a brake mechanism which will stop the spinning basket 50 automatically just as soon as the motor is cut off and the drive begins to coast, and it will also hold basket 50 stationary during agitation. Spaced vertically above and from collar 126 is a ring member 130 attached to sleeve 123 and between the ring 130 and sleeve 123 is brake 132. Brake 132 comprises a plurality of friction plates 133, 134, and friction pads 135, all assembled for axial movement on sleeve 123. Plates 133 are larger in diameter than plates 134. Plates 133 are formed with axiallyextended slots to receive a respective rib 141 formed integrally on housing 24. Plates 134 are alternated with plates 133 and are each formed with inwardly extending tongues 142, FIGURES 3 and 8, received in slots 124 of sleeve 123. Friction pads 135 are provided between each plate 133, 134, and between the lower plate and collar 126. Between collar 126 and flange 122 of sleeve 123 is a compression spring 145 which normally tends to move sleeve 123 in a downward direction to cause ring 130 to move down upon and compress the brake elements into frictional interlocking relation with each other and to the non-movable collar 126. Collar 126 rotates, but does not move vertically, i.e., axially to the movement of sleeve 123. When the brake has been applied, as described, shaft 31 becomes interlocked with housing 24, and as long as the brake is applied, basket 50 will be held against rotation.

Numeral 200 designates a conduit to bring water from a source, not shown, to a conductor 201, which is in alignment with tub opening 13. A water gauge 202 is provided which receives water through a sump -203, said sump being located below the bottom of drum 25 and has an opening 207 thereinto. Numeral 211 designates a pump connected to sump 203 by pipe 210, to remove water from tub 25 following the various wash and rinse cycles. Secured to the top of water gauge 202 is a control member 206, adapted to trip motor 36 when water rises to a predetermined height in water gauge pipe 202 compressing the air above it. Pump 211 is mounted above motor 36 and is driven thereby.

A baflle 205 is provided to prevent water turbulence spilling the air out of chamber 202.

Three circumferentially equally spaced centering springs 212 are provided, the same being secured to and extending from braces 26 to base member 17 for centering basket 50 relative to tub 25 when undue nutation is caused because of unbalanced wash loads.

The manner in which the washing machine operates is as follows:

The washer is completely automatic-it fills with water, washes, spins to remove wash water, fills with rinse water, rinses, spins damp dry and shuts off automatically. When the user wishes to wash, clothes are loaded into basket 50 through opening 13 in tub 25 and the control knob on the front of the washer, not shown, is turned so that the indicia on same shows wash, which in turn allows water, hot, cold, or mixed, according to the fabric being washed, to enter tub 25 and basket 50 through conduit 200, then across an air gap to conductor 201 which in turn delivers the water to basket 50 and through the openings therein to tub 25. As the tub 25 begins to fill, water passes into sump 203 and on into pipe 202. As the air in pipe 202 is compressed by the filling water, it will, when a predetermined height of water fill is acquired in the tub, actuate control 206, which switch actuates an electric circuit, not shownwhich turns off the water and at the same time actuates motor 36.

Motor 36 is two directional and will rotate the armature thereof either clockwise or counter-clockwise. During the wash cycle motor 36 is wired to rotate the armature 18 thereof in a counter-clockwise direction. Armature 18 has a pulley 35 mounted thereon and rotatable along therewith, which in turn has a belt run 34 to a second pulley 33 mounted at the bottom end of drive shaft 30. As shaft 30 rotates, the shaft in turn rotates collar 110 and cam 112, mounted thereon, in a counter-clockwise direction, FIGURE 3, which movement in turn locks sleeve member 116 in its low position. As this function is being performed, sleeve member 116 rotates idly as clutch plate 120 is dropped out of engagement with its friction pad 121. In turn sleeve 123 will have moved to its lowest position by spring 145 to effect a brake engagement and an interlock with the co-axial shaft 31 to prevent its rotation. This movement causes basket 50 mounted on shaft 31, to be held stationary. As agitator shaft 30 rotates, it moves crankarm 40 secured thereto, which is offset or distorted, in an orbital path about the interior of basket 50 and carries in the same path agitator 60 which is secured to crankarm 40. As agitator 60 moves in its orbital path it is held against rotation about the axis of crankarm 40 by means of rubber sleeves 54, 64. As the sleeves 54, 64, are attached to the basket 50, which is held stationary, the sleeves prevent the assembly on the crankarm 40 from rotating thereon and allow merely movement with crankarm 40 for movement in an orbital path. As described, during the wash cycle, agitator shaft 30 rotates crankarm 40 with agitator 60, held against rotary movement thereon, in counter-clockwise direction and in an orbital path within basket 50, until the wash cycle has been completed.

The wash cycle starts after approximately half the amount of wash water has entered the wash tub and with full amount of cleaning agent.

The pump 211 is mounted above and is directly connected to the motor 36 and operates any time the motor is energized. When the pump is rotating in agitation direction it serves no useful purpose. But, when the pump is rotating in spin direction, it discharges the dirty wash water from tub 25 through opening 207, sump 203, hose 210, pump 211 and thence into a suitable laundry tub drain or floor drain as desired. When the spin position of the cycle starts, the motor is energized in spin direction and turns the pump 211 as well as spinning basket 50. The drag of the water causes the clutch to slip and holds down spin speed until the water is pumped out of tub 25. When the water is pumped out of the tub, the basket will accelerate to full speed.

The control dial is then turned to the rinse agitation cycle which in turn allows water to again enter tub 25 as in the wash cycle, and motor 36 is again energized. For this cycle motor 36 rotates in a clockwise direction and again rotates shaft 30 and in turn collar and cam 112 effects a lifting action of sleeve 116, FIGURE 3.

As spring 117 turns it moves from the position shown in FIGURE 3 to the position shown in' FIGURE 4, where abutments 118 engage shoulders 119 to interlock the drive in reverse. The lifting of sleeve 116 is of sufficient height to not only engage the clutch members 120', 121, to drive sleeve 123, but also to lift sleeve 116 against the tension of spring 145 interposed between the brake mechanism and flange 122 of sleeve 123 and lift ring to release brake 132.

The incline on cam surface 115 is such that driving torque is required to hold cams 112 and 115 in their highest position against the force of spring and maintain a released brake. At the conclusion of the spin cycle, or if the motor is deenergized by opening the lid 14 causing switch 14a to interrupt the motor current, spring 145 forces sleeve 123 downwardly, thus setting the brake.

Sleeve 123, through its collar attachment 126 to spin shaft 31, effects a drive from co-axial agitator shaft 30 to shaft 31. Inasmuch as basket 50 is rotating, simultaneously shaft 30 is rotating agitator 60, except the rotation is in a reverse direction and will do no work. In this spin cycle the outer and inner shaft rotate simultaneously which in turn causes the basket, crankarm and agitator to rotate simultaneously in a clockwise direction.

Also during this cycle, water again passes into sump 203 from which it is pumped by means of pump 211 to a hose member and hence to a drain.

As shaft 30 is rotated oil pump piston 214 is reciprocated by cam 113, mounted between collar 110 and piston 214. The piston pumps oil (whenever shaft 30 is rotated) from a reservoir 220 in housing member 24a through opening 215, then through bearing slots 216 and then through opening 217 into the bore 225 of the agitator shaft. The pressure occasioned by the pump piston forces the oil up through bore 225 to the upper end of the shaft 30 where it spills over and runs down through the slots in bearings 51 and 51a. The oil then passes through the interior of boot 54 into bearing 42 and then through the slots in bearing 49 down along the exterior surface of shaft 30. The oil then travels through the slots in bearing 38 and back to reservoir 220. Some of the oil would travel through opening 227 and then through the slots 228 in bearing 101 and back to the reservoir 220. A check valve 221 is positioned in the bore 225. The approximate oil level in the housing 24 is indicated at 222 in FIGURE 2. In event a rupture should occur in the boot 54, any oil leakage would travel into the interior of member 55a thence through opening 230 down along the outer surface of spin shaft 31 into chamber 231 and thence out through opening 232. Thus, the leaking oil would not mix with wash water and ruin the clothes. Should boot 64 rupture water would spill through opening 230 and out through opening 232 onto the floor. The leak would not be concealed so as to cause water eventually to be forced into the drive unit and foul up the drive mechanism. No single failure would allow water to enter the drive unitonly two failures in series could so result.

The centering springs 212, which extend from braces 26 to base plate 17 recenter basket 50 and tub 25 when undue nutation occurs because of an unbalanced clothes load.

The suspension on this type of automatic washer is such that the system, being free to pivot on the nodal point will seek to rotate about its center of gravity rather than the axis of rotation. Thus, the machine is self-balancing at high speed. The unbalanced load will move toward the axis of rotation and the most eccentric part of the tub will be away from the unbalance. The amount of eccentricity is proportioned to the amount of unbalance.

When the amount of unbalance becomes excessive, striking of the tub against the cabinet would occur except the amount of torque has been limited by the clutch so that the energy absorbed by friction pads 28 would equal input energy through the clutch. Thus, the machine could not accelerate to high speed until some water was expelled from the unbalanced load.

As described, on the wash cycle, drive shaft 30 rotates crankarm 40 with agitator 60, held against rotary movement thereon, in a counter-clockwise direction and in an orbital path within basket 50, until the wash cycle has been completed.

I claim:

1. A drive assembly for a washing machine comprising: a hollow support housing; an agitator shaft extending through the housing; a hollow spin shaft coaxially mounted relative to the agitator shaft and having its lower end supported on the agitator shaft; a first collar secured to the agitator shaft; a first sleeve slidably and rotatably mounted on the agitator shaft; resilient means connected to the first collar and first sleeve for establishing a yieldable driving connection therebetween; a second collar secured to the spin shaft; a second sleeve mounted on the spin shaft for axial movement relative thereto; a clutch interposed between the first and second sleeves and a cam means interposed between the first collar and the first sleeve for causing engagement of the clutch and thereby establishing a driving connection between the agitator shaft and spin shaft.

2. A drive assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein brake means are mounted on the second sleeve for restraining rotation of the spin shaft.

3. A drive assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein the second sleeve has a radially outwardly flange to which one portion of the clutch is secured.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,351,996 6/ 1944 Morgan 192-54 3,243,021 3/1966 Pelensky 6823.6 XR 3,245,505 4/1966 Staengle et a1 192-4l XR MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner A. D. HERRMANN, Assistant Examiner US. 01. X.R. 68-23.6; 192 41, 54 

